Former West Orange High teacher jailed on lewd-battery charge

A former West Orange High School biology teacher was released Wednesday from the Orange County Jail, where he had been held on a charge of lewd or lascivious battery on a 15-year-old student.

Andrew Parker Flavell, 29, of Winter Garden, was arrested Monday. He resigned from his job May 4, three days after the girl's parents first told Winter Garden officers he was having inappropriate contact with their daughter.

Orange County schools opened an investigation on Flavell after it was reported that he kissed a 15-year-old female student on May 1. The finding was confirmed, and his resignation was in lieu of termination, according to his employee relations file.

According to statements taken as part of the investigation, the 10th-grader originally denied that he kissed the girl after giving her a ride home, but on May 4 he admitted that it had happened a number of times. Several students and a family member witnessed at least one kiss, and the student said the two had been using text messages to flirt as well.

In his response to the district investigation, Flavell admitted giving the girl a ride home but denied hugging or kissing her.

The girl's parents Monday told police Flavell was still contacting their daughter. They found sexual text messages between the two and cards and letters declaring Flavell's love for the teen, a report shows.

In May, they told police they wanted Flavell to stop communicating with the girl, according to the report. At the time, Flavell admitted to officers that he had kissed the teen, the report states.

The 15-year-old told investigators she and Flavell had been having a sexual relationship since early June and that he had left his wife and moved into an apartment near her home.

Flavell was released from jail on $10,000 bail and placed on home confinement pending resolution of the case, jail records show.